Japanese Photographer Shomei Tomatsu passed away on December 14th – he was 82. For most, he will remain a pivotal figure of recent Japanese photography.
Even though he was stated as a photojournalist in post-war Japan, his images  - often depicting grief and suffering – have granted him a status beyond documentary photography. Truly independant, he had a free and subtle eye – often in opposition with humanist and realistic post-WWII style.Starting as a freelance in his mid-twenties, he soon created the VIVO agency with Eikoh Hosoe and Ikko Narahara.  Even though the adventure did not last more than 3 years, it remains one of the defining moments in the history of Japanese photography. His most famous works depict the terrible scars left by the bombing of the city of Nagasaki – on usual objects such as melted bottles or watches, as well as on people – He also witnessed the Americanization of Japan – a statement for the devastating changes in the Japanese society.
In his own words “In the end (photography) is transforming ruins into thoughts.”